Got bugs? New project lets real computer users gang up on software bugs

Ben Liblit, an assistant professor in the UW-Madison department of computer sciences, has developed a novel way to root out and eradicate software bugs by enlisting the power of real users. His approach, called Cooperative Bug Isolation, uses a program that generates feedback reports from thousands of software programs in use and helps identify the most common and troublesome software glitches. Liblit's project is helping bring statistical rigor to post-deployment software debugging techniques, allowing developers to improve their software more efficiently. Liblit is pictured with his laptop computer outdoors at the Memorial Union Terrace at sunset. Photo by: courtesy Bob Rashid.